


everyone knows i'm in over my head

by kittys_stories



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Bisexual Percy Jackson, Depressed Will Solace, F/F, F/M, Forgotten Percy Jackson, Guilt, I'm drawin a blank here, Kidnapped Calypso, M/M, Monsters, OOC, Poor Buddy, Sad Percy Jackson, Shapeshifters - Freeform, Short Chapters, Song fic, Spells & Enchantments, Suicide Attempt, also trashy, i really don't know what to tag, kidnapped leo, really really cheesy, totally not a spoiler what, uhh, welp
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-28
Updated: 2018-02-28
Packaged: 2019-03-25 02:06:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13824204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittys_stories/pseuds/kittys_stories
Summary: ❝ I never knew,I never knew that everything was falling through-That everyone I knew was waiting on a cueto turn and run when all I needed was the truth.But that's how it's got to be.It's coming down to nothing more than apathy.I'd rather run the other way than stay and seethe smoke and who's still standing when it clears. ❞//aka another hurt!Percy fic that no one asked for





	1. over my head

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally posted on Wattpad under the name "Over My Head" but I decided that I might as well post it here too!
> 
> Also, sorry in advance if it's painfully cliche. It's been a while since I've written anything :/

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://youtu.be/fyMhvkC3A84  
> The song where I got the title of the fic from (also the title of this chapter)
> 
> Every chapter will have a song with lyrics that correspond with the story :)

He found out on a normal day.

It was a couple months after the Second Giant War, and Percy had just taught his third swordsmanship class of the day. All his classes went amazingly smooth, no blips or problems, and no surprise concussions. And that's what alarmed him- nothing had gone wrong. Which meant _something was going to go wrong_.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Percy swiftly put away the swords and shields. He still couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. So, he decided to go to the person he trusted most: Annabeth.

So, Percy wandered around Camp, first checking her cabin, then the places she's often at. This took about 20 minutes until he realized he's having no luck on his own, so he decided to ask the nearest person, which happened to be Nyssa from the Hephaestus cabin.

Percy lightly tapped her on the shoulder, "Hey, um, Nyssa, have you seen Annabeth lately?" He smiled sheepishly, "I'm looking for her, but I haven't seen her all day,"

Nyssa shook her head apologetically, "I haven't, sorry."

Well, _darn_. "What about, uh... Jason? Or Piper?"

This time Nyssa had an answer, "Actually, I think I saw Connor with them this morning. He might know where they went,"

Percy nodded and thanked her, then headed off to the Hermes cabin. Upon entering, he saw Connor and Travis talking quietly with grim facial expressions. _That's definitely not good_.

Percy quietly knocked on the doorframe, "Hey guys, sorry for interrupting you," He started softly, "But do you guys know where Annabeth is?"

Both Connor and Travis slowly looked up at Percy, but only Connor spoke, "Um, kind of,"

Percy frowned, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Um," Connor threw a meaningful glance at his brother, who shook his head and mouthed _No_.

Connor sighed heavily and dragged a hand across his face, "Okay, but please don't get mad,"

"Uh, alright," Percy agreed hesitantly. Was it really that bad?

Connor wrung his hands, "So, er, they might have left,"

Percy blinked, "What?"

"I don't know!" Connor inhaled slowly, trying to calm himself down, "I mean, this morning they- _They_ as in, like, Annabeth, Jason, Piper, and Nico-" He paused, "They just... came to me and asked for a couple backpacks. I asked why, and they just said they were going to leave. I don't even know what that _means_ , or where they're going."

Okay, now Percy was thoroughly confused. What the hell was Connor talking about? They _left_?

Percy swallowed, "Like, permanently?

Connor nodded softly, "It sounded like it. I don't know. I'm sorry, Percy. I would've told you hours ago if I had known you didn't know."

Percy tried to ignore the way his eyes stung and threatened to spill tears onto his cheeks. _It's okay, it's okay_ , He tried to reassure himself, _They had to have a reason why they left. They could be on an important last-minute quest. Maybe it's for the Camp's safety_.

Or...

 _What if it's the eidolons again? The eidolons could be possessing them and forcing them to leave and_...

"Uh, Percy? You alright?" He heard Travis' concerned voice, which snapped him out of his thoughts. Unfortunately for the brothers, Percy already had made up his mind.

Percy nodded slowly, "Yeah, uh, I'll see you guys later," Without waiting for them to respond, Percy left and headed straight for his cabin.

Meanwhile, Percy packed a backpack with everything he thought he would need. A couple pairs of clothes, some soap (to wash them), his wallet and drachmas, some granola bars, a rope, a lighter, a compass, and some ambrosia. After he was done packing, he wrote a note to Chiron.

> " _Hi Chiron_
> 
> __
> 
> _So I wrote this note to say that im not missing and I didnt run away. Im just searching for the rest of the 7 (and nico)._
> 
> __
> 
> _I dont think they ran away. I think they got kidnapped. So thats why im looking for them._
> 
> __
> 
> _\- Percy_
> 
> __
> 
> _PS: Ill be back soon dont worry_." 
> 
> __

__

Percy taped the note to his door, grabbed his backpack, and ventured to the Camp border. With a heavy sigh, he turned to face the Camp and waved at it, "See you in a bit," He said softly.

__

And that's when the running began.

__


	2. every teardrop is a waterfall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> also this is set *before* ToA, I think I forgot to tag that oops  
> https://youtu.be/fyMhvkC3A84 song for the chapter; also where this chapter's title is from
> 
> every chapter will have a song with lyrics that correspond with the story!

Percy went everywhere.

Of course, not literally _everywhere_ , but he went to all the places where they could have been. Those places consisted of all of their parent's houses or their previous houses, and almost all the places they've been on their quests (excluding the "really dangerous" places, such as Tartarus and the Underworld). It took a couple- no, a lot more than a couple months, but he did it.

And yet, he still found no traces of them. Where the hell were they? They couldn't be in Tartarus or the Underworld, because one, someone would've said something by now, and _two_ , they're not dead.

Right?

They couldn't have been in the Sea of Monsters or the Labyrinth. Or Ogygia.

So, where the hell were they?

_Wait a second..._

Percy put his head in his hands and groaned. I could have just Iris Messaged them this whole time. Oh my gods, I'm an idiot.

Percy walked behind the convenience store and pulled out his water bottle. He splashed some and threw his hand out, willing the water to float in the air. Putting his water down, he slowly grabbed a drachma out of his pocket and threw it in the floating water.

"O, Fleecy, do me a solid. Show me Annabeth Chase at..." Percy paused, mentally cursing. How was he supposed to Iris Message them if he didn't know where they were?

"I, uh, don't really know where she is, but can you please show me, anyway?"

And then suddenly by a miracle (well, actually Fleecy), the faces of his friends appeared. Annabeth, Nico, Jason, Piper, Hazel, Frank- _all of them_. And- _oh gods, is that_ Leo?

Leo had just finished saying something, which caused the others to respond by laughing. _Even Nico was laughing_.

Frank, on the other hand, was as red as a tomato, "H-Hey, it's not my fault! Piper lied to me!" He protested.

"Yeah, but it was funny, wasn't it?" Piper asked, playfully punching Frank's shoulder.

"...Yes." Frank answered grudgingly, causing another round of laughter. "I'm going to get revenge, you know."

"I'll help!" Hazel piped up eagerly.

Annabeth smirked, "Count me in, too."

"No offense," Jason started, turning towards Leo and Piper, "but you guys are screwed."

Hazel said something and Leo replied to that, but Percy was too caught up in his thoughts to care.

 _They're happy. That's all that matters, isn't it? That they're happy._ Percy smiled bittersweetly, unaware that tears were gently rolling down his cheeks.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by someone clearing their throat. He looked up at the Iris Message and saw seven people looking back at him. Piper and Annabeth had their eyebrows raised, while the rest of them looked beyond confused.

"Uh," Jason motioned towards Percy, looking irritated with his eyebrows furrowed, "Are you okay?"

Percy blinked at him, "What?" He asked, his voice strangely hoarse. _Was I crying?_

"He asked if you were okay." Annabeth snapped and looked at him strangely, "Are you _deaf_?"

Percy blinked again and another tear escaped. He didn't know what to say.

Frank frowned at Annabeth, then threw his hand out at Percy in a calming gesture, "Hey, man, really, what's wrong? And how did you-"

Percy swiped at the Iris Message before Frank could even continue. And for the first time in a year, Percy _let go_.

He screamed.

...

Unbeknownst to Percy, his grief was heard by the gods. One by one, confused Olympians flashed in Olympus' throne room. Once everyone had arrived, questions began flying from left and right.

"What is that noise?"

"What's going on?"

"Sweet ambrosia! Who's screaming?"

"Quiet, everyone," Zeus ordered, instantly silencing the gods and goddesses. "I will ask this once; does anyone know what that sound is?"

"I do," Hestia spoke up. "If you listen closely, you can tell exactly what it is,"

No one responded; they were all too busy listening.

Aphrodite covered her mouth with her shaking hands, "Oh, gods,"

"Is that...?" Poseidon slowly turned towards Hestia, who nodded solemnly.

Apollo voiced the question they were all wondering, "Why is he crying?"

"The poor child. He's too young to suffer like this," Aphrodite said, dabbing her eyes with a cloth.

Poseidon stood, glowering at the goddess of wisdom threateningly, "Athena, if your daughter had something to do with this-"

"It was all them." Hestia interrupted softly, "The Seven, they did this to him,"

"The Seven..." Athena murmured, "What did they do?"

Hestia stared hard into Athena's eyes, "They broke his heart."

...

❝ _Maybe I'm in the black, maybe I'm on my knees_ ,

 _Maybe I'm in the gap between the two trapezes_.

 _But my heart is beating and my pulses start_ ,

 _Cathedrals in my heart_.

...

 _Every tear_ ,

 _Every tear_ ,

 _Every teardrop is a waterfall_. ❞

...


	3. if i ever feel better

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://youtu.be/jJp3kVelU3c ; song for the chapter!
> 
> Also, the conversation between Zeus and Poseidon in this chapter is painfully OOC. How do you even write a god? 
> 
> help

"They  _what_?" Poseidon asked, finding it hard to stay calm. He may or may not have caused an earthquake. "They  _left_ my son?"

Hestia nodded sadly.

All of the sea god's anger vanished and was replaced by concern and curiosity. "Why?"

"It seems like... someone's offered them a better future,"

Apollo frowned, "What? Who?"

"I don't know  _who_ exactly, but I know they shouldn't be alive," Hestia's eyes were grim. The Olympians urgently began guessing who, yet none came up with a correct answer. Athena's theories weren't even correct.

Poseidon, though, wasn't focused on who caused Percy to be in such grief. All he wanted was to comfort him. But he couldn't. He could try, though.

He and Zeus looked at each other and had a silent conversation with their eyes.

 _Brother, please, you know I need to be there for him_.

Zeus sighed, _You cannot_.  _It's the rules, Poseidon._

 _Please, just this once._   _He is my only son, for our sake!_

Poseidon could tell he was getting more irritated by the minute,  _It is not my choice_.

_Yes, yes, it is._

Zeus huffed,  _Fine. I'll allow you to see him, but you must do it at midnight, so no one will see you_.

 _Thank you, Lord Zeus_.

"Alright, the meeting's adjourned," Zeus said. He had no idea that the other gods were having a conversation.

...

 

Thankfully, Percy was already near Camp, so it hadn't taken him as long to arrive. He walked back to his cabin with his head down. He hoped none of the other campers saw his tear streaked face, though, he supposed, they probably would with his luck.

And they did. Most of them thought,  _Gods, what happened to him?_  and went on with their day. But then there were the other campers who actually  _were_ concerned. They generally wanted to know what happened to him. One of those campers happened to be the last person anyone suspect to ever feel concern for anyone, let alone  _Percy Jackson._

"Percy, you're back!" She exclaimed, walking up to him. Her unusual cheerful attitude was swiftly replaced by something else as she noticed the tears running down his face. She didn't know what the new feeling was. She's never felt it before. Was it protectiveness? Pity?

"Hey, um," She began awkwardly, "What's wrong?"

Percy shook his head, "Nothing, I'm fine." He answered stubbornly and began walking faster.

"No, there's something obviously wrong, because you're crying." She placed a hand on his shoulder to slow him down. It worked. "And the savior of Olympus,  _twice_ , might I add, doesn't normally cry like this,"

Percy sat down on a bed and buried his face in his hands.

_Wait, bed?_

She looked around and saw they made it to the Poseidon cabin.  _Huh, didn't even realize it_.

Percy mumbled something, but it she couldn't understand him. He was talking into his hands.

"What?" She asked.

He looked up at her as more tears rolled down his cheeks, "They're happier without me. Why didn't they just tell me?"

She sat down beside him on his bed and put a calming hand on his arm, "And why would you think that?"

It took Percy a while to answer, but soon she had calmed him down and helped him stop sobbing. Once he was done, she quietly used her sleeve to wipe the tears off his face in a motherly way.  _What am I doing?_ She asked herself, shocked that she was actually being  _nice_ to someone.

She was pulled out of her shock when Percy started talking.

"I... I made an Iris Message and then I saw them and they were talking and laughing and planning pranks... And when they saw me, they just looked at me with...  _disgust_ ," He swallowed, "I don't think they even cared."

"Oh, Percy," She pulled him into a hug. Percy softly sobbed into her shoulder, and she let him, gladly. She didn't care if anyone sees her, even if her reputation is damned.

"Don't cry, Percy," She soothed, slipping in a bit of her charmspeak, "I promise you, you'll be fine without them. You will find a way to," Percy nodded and laid down on his bed. Pretty soon, he was asleep.

She sighed and walked out, still wondering why she, Drew Tanaka, is concerned about Percy Jackson.

 

...

 

❝  _They say an end can be a start,_  
 _Feels like I've been buried yet I'm still alive._  
 _It's like a bad day that never ends._  
 _I feel the chaos around me,_  
 _A thing I don't try to deny._  
 _I'd better learn to accept that,_  
 _There are things in my life that I can't control._

_Hang on to the good days,_   
**_I̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶ ̶l̶e̶a̶n̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶m̶y̶ ̶f̶r̶i̶e̶n̶d̶s̶._ **   
**_T̶h̶e̶y̶ ̶h̶e̶l̶p̶ ̶m̶e̶ ̶g̶o̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶t̶h̶r̶o̶u̶g̶h̶ ̶h̶a̶r̶d̶ ̶t̶i̶m̶e̶s̶._ **   
_But I'm feeding the enemy,_   
_I'm in league with the foe._   
_Blame me for what's happening,_   
_I can't try, I can't try, I can't try._

_If I ever feel better,_  
 _Remind me to spend some good time with you._  
 _You can give me your number,_  
 _When it's all over I'll let you know._ ❞

 

 ...

 

 


	4. oh, please stay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://youtu.be/6oxvursQVF0 ; song for the chapter!
> 
> the song is actually called Rawnald Gregory Erickson The Second, but uh, that wouldn't make any sense at all if I used it as a chapter title, lmao

Percy woke up feeling... nothing. Well, he supposed that meant he felt  _numb_. But, what happened last night?

He swung his legs out to the side of the bed, and suddenly last night's events rushed through his mind. He found his friends were happier without him, and he cried in the arms of the infamous bully, Drew Tanaka.

And then he didn't feel so numb anymore. He felt his heart drop to the bottom of his stomach and a lump form in his throat. With a shaky sigh, he realized he had started crying and wiped his cheeks,  _Why am I taking this so hard? They aren't dead, just..._

Gone.

And that's when it hit him; the reason he was taking this so hard was  _because of his godsdamn fatal flaw_. How could he be loyal if he has no one to be loyal to?

"Hey, Perce?"

Percy turned to the visitor and found it was the daughter of Hephaestus, "Hi," He greeted softly. He knew full well that Nyssa could see his tear-stained face.

"So," She began awkwardly, "I heard from a very,  _very_ unreliable source that you found the Seven and..." She paused. How in the world was she supposed to ask this without sounding harsh?

Nyssa sighed heavily, "I heard that they willingly left, and were, uh, happy about it," She said, not bothering to sugar coat it, "Is it true?"

Percy nodded, biting his lip as he tried not to break into tears once again,  _Pathetic. I can't even keep myself together for a couple minutes._

"You want to talk about it?" Nyssa asked softly, noting how his hands had started shaking, "It's okay if you don't. I just want to let you know it's okay and... yeah,"

"I'm fine." He answered in a hard, stubborn tone. He turned his back on her and pretended to put away his clothes.

"Okay, uh, I'll be in the pavilion for breakfast if you want to- if you decide you want to talk about it," She finished, rushing out.

That went better than she expected. She's usually not good with that kind of stuff, but she'd thought she'd try. And yeah, all of her confidence may have gone to shit by the end of that, but it was worth a shot, right?

 _Now_ , Nyssa thought.  _I have to find Drew and ask her how she knew._

...

As soon as Nyssa was out of hearing distance, Percy couldn't help it. He wept.

"I miss you," He murmured through his tears, looking up at the ceiling. He looked down at his shaking hands, "Please... Please come back."

...

 

Percy's sobbing session lasted 5 minutes. After those 5 minutes, he decided to go to the pavilion and get something to eat. Maybe on the way, he could summon enough courage to talk to Nyssa about it.

And so, he wiped his tears and changed into a shirt that wasn't tear stained, and headed off to the pavilion. On the way, he heard two guys talking about him.

"Gods, I feel bad for Percy," One had said. "I mean, he's pretty much been abandoned by all his friends. Even his  _girlfriend_ left him."

"Riley!" The other guy scolded and promptly hit his friend, earning an  _ow_ from him, "Dude, you know he can hear you. Give him a break, you know he's been through a lot."

"Okay, fine. I guess you're right," Riley replied.

"Guess? No, I  _am_ right!" The second guy had exclaimed. By that time, Percy was already way past them. The next conversation he overheard about himself was between two daughters of Aphrodite.

"Oh, my, there's Percy. Kelsey, If the rumors are true about that Annabitch leaving him, do you think I could get with him?" One had asked.

"Yeah, maybe in your dreams," The second, Kelsey, muttered, "I bet the kids from the Hypnos cabin can get that arranged."

The first one gasped dramatically, obviously offended, "How dare you, you bitch! You're delusional if you think I'm not good enough for him!"

"Yes, well, honey, that's exactly what I'm telling you. He's saved our world twice. And how many times have you saved the world? None. All you've been doing is caking your face in makeup and being a slut so hot guys will somehow date you," Kelsey spat, "So, yes, Sarah, I'm saying you're not good enough."

The first one growled angrily and stomped off. By the time that had finished, Percy had arrived at the pavilion.

"Percy!" Two feminine voices yelled, causing Percy turn his head. There was a daughter of Aphrodite and the daughter of Hephaestus walking towards him.  _Oh, joy._

"Oh, hi," Percy greeted smoothly, heading to his table. They followed.

"Oh my gods, Percy, you would never believe this!" Drew exclaimed.

Percy immediately faced her with big bambi eyes, "What? Are the seven are coming back?" He asked eagerly. He looked like a little kid asking if Santa was real. Of course, Nyssa and Drew didn't want to tell the poor kid the truth and crush his dreams. But they knew they couldn't lie to him either.

"No, Percy, that's, uh, not the news we had to tell you," Nyssa said as softly as she could manage, "I'm sorry, though,"

Now, Percy's eyes were glassy. He ducked his head down in embarrassment, hoping no one noticed that he was about to cry.  _That'd be the third time today._

Drew sent a glare at Nyssa that said something like,  _Great! Look what you did with your nice choice of words!_

"Don't think about it, Percy. Remember what I said yesterday? You'll be just fine without them," Drew said, once she was done glaring at Nyssa, "Besides, you've got us now."

"Really?" Percy asked, looking back up at Drew and Nyssa with a watery smile.

Nyssa nodded softly, "Yeah, of course,"

Percy said nothing for a minute, probably because he was thinking about howand why he could be okay without them. The sad thing was, he couldn't find any reasons to be fine without them. Every time he would think of something  _good_ , it would always evolve into something  _bad_.

But instead, Percy nodded and mustered up a smile. "Okay," He said, pointing his thumb at the Poseidon table, "I'm going to go eat something."

Nyssa and Drew nodded, "If you want to talk about  _it_ , just tell us," Drew said smiling warmly, "Oh, and what we were going to tell you was that Nyssa and I made friends pretty quickly. You should've seen Clarisse's face. It was hilarious."

"I bet," Percy smiled and walked away, giving the girls a small wave. Maybe he would be fine without them. After all, he's already befriended two great people.

_But, it won't be the same, will it?_

...

❝  _All my life–_

_There you go._

_Oh, please stay._

_Just this once._

_Anyway..._ ❞

...


	5. such great heights

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FatiC6NxCcE 
> 
> Song for this chapter :D

Surprisingly, Percy was able to eat his breakfast in peace. No one bombarded him with questions about how he was feeling, what he was going to do now, or why he thought they left. Though, as he was walking back to his cabin, he was stopped by a 13-year-old boy. He had chocolate colored hair with amber eyes that held so much happiness and curiosity, it made Percy long for the innocence.

"Wait, you're Percy Jackson right?" The boy asked eagerly, walking beside the son of Poseidon.

"Uh, let me check," Percy looked at his hands sarcastically, then nodded with a grin, "Yep, looks like it,"

"Oh my God- gods!" He corrected himself, which clearly showed he was a new camper, "You're amazing!"

Percy smiled softly, "Well, thank you very much! I'm glad someone thinks so,"

The boy somehow seemed to notice something had changed in his tone. He frowned, "If you're thinking about your friends, just... forget them. They're just," He lowered his voice and looked around, "Assholes."

Percy tried not to grin at how he was so concerned that someone would hear him curse. He kind of reminded Percy of himself when he was younger.

"Hey, um, I gotta go," The boy said, pointing to a group of burly teens with his thumb. For some reason, the teens seemed to be glaring at Percy. "But it was awesome to meet you!"

Percy raised an eyebrow at them, then nodded with a smile, "Yeah you too!" But just as the boy was walking away, Percy said, "Hey, wait, you never told me your name!"

The brown haired boy turned around to face the older boy, "Oh, I'm Sean. Son of...  Ares," He said, looking a little shameful and blushed. Then he smiled cheerfully and waved, "Bye!"

Percy was shocked. Sean was a son of Ares?  _In what universe_? Maybe he brings out the best in people? After all, he'd gotten Drew to comfort him, and according to Piper, she's the definition of evil. Or, was, seeing as she's turned over a new leaf.

 _Gods, that's mildly concerning._  Percy thought of how his half siblings were going to have to toughen him up. And that'd probably break his innocence, dammit.

But Sean didn't seem too happy about being a son of Ares. Maybe he wasn't corrupted by his siblings yet.

Whatever the reason is for Sean's friendliness, Percy was sure he was going to make a good friend.

...

The rest of the day went by fast, and soon enough, the sun was setting. Unknown to Percy, a certain sea god was pleading a certain sun god to hurry up. Just as Percy was getting in bed, a bright blue light flashed in his hands. When it died, a blue envelope was sitting in his palms.

Curiously, he opened it, pulling out the matching blue papyrus with one sentence written in Ancient Greek:  _I'm at the lake. :)_

Percy immediately threw on a shirt and half walked and half ran to his destination. When he arrived, he was met with a hug (that rivaled Tyson's) from the one and only Poseidon.

"Dad," Percy gasped in his father's chest. "...can't breathe." He managed.

Poseidon immediately let go and chuckled sheepishly, "Heh, sorry, son. I'm just happy to see you're okay," He apologized, rubbing the back of his neck in a Percy-like way. Well, now we know where he got  _that_  from.

"Yeah," Percy responded weakly, not knowing what to say. Was he okay? Probably not. He cried, like, what, four times today?

Noticing his son's mood shift, Poseidon decided to change the subject, "So, I see you've made some friends with a child of Ares, Hephaestus, and Aphrodite."

Percy turned back to the god with the ghost of a smile, "Yeah, they're pretty friendly and nice. I really didn't expect a son of Ares to befriend me, let alone a daughter of Aphrodite with the reputation of a bully." By now, the faint smile on his face had waxed into a noticeable one.

"Frank and Piper were nice to you. Well, Frank was a son of Mars and Piper wasn't a bully," Poseidon added but soon realized his mistake when Percy's smile dissipated.

Percy nodded, and murmured a soft, "Yeah," He focused his attention on the sand and began kicking at it.

Poseidon sighed, "Percy, you can't change the past. You know this," His father said, grabbing Percy's attention. "But, you can shape the future. And do you know how?"

Percy took the bait, "How?" He asked curiously.

"By living in the present."

Percy was silence for roughly a minute, causing Poseidon to believe he was actually thinking about taking his advice. Then, Percy spoke up, "Wow," He whistled, grinning broadly. "That's some cheesy stuff right there, Dad."

The sea god chuckled, happy to see his son with a real smile, "I suppose that was a  _little_  cheesy." He admitted.

"But seriously," Percy started, his eyebrows furrowed, "I think I'll try it."

"You will?"

Percy replied with a slow nod that gradually turned into a confident one, "Yeah. I realize I haven't been choosing the...  _wisest_ decisions lately,"

Poseidon embraced his son once again. Percy returned the hug and vowed, "I won't let you down. I promise."

"Thank you, my boy," His father said, "Thank you."

...

❝  _And true,_

_it may seem like a stretch,_

_But it's thoughts like this that catch_

_My troubled head when you're away_

_When I am missing you to death._ ❞

...


	6. the river

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6SyQ4XvBxg ; song for the chapter

After talking to Poseidon, Percy's mentality began to improve. All those depressing thoughts he used to have were gone, he stopped trying to push people away, smiled and laughed more, and he even made friends with numerous campers, old and new.

And for once in a long time, he was happy. He was truly happy.

One day, Chiron approached him during breakfast and asked if he would like to aid the satyrs in finding and bringing in new demigods. Of course, he accepted the offer, eager to help his fellow demigods. The next day he woke up early and traveled with the satyrs into the cities. He and a couple satyrs had guided young demigods (some were as young as 6) to Camp and then had to do the hardest part: telling them the Greek gods were real. When he was pretty sure the demigods understood, he showed them to the Hermes cabin and ran off with the satyrs to find other demigods.  His days continued like this for months.

Normally, when he first began to help, he would end the day around five in the afternoon with three or four demigods brought back. Then he would spend the rest of the friends and the new demigods.

But recently, there has been more stray demigods than ever. Now, he would end the day around twelve in the morning with eight to ten demigods brought back. By the time he arrived back at Camp, all his friends and most of the new demigods were asleep. Plus, Percy was pretty exhausted from getting up at, like, four in the morning. Some days, he would barely have enough energy to walk to his bed. Other days, he would be as hyper as Leo on Red Bull.

Leo.

Every now and then, Percy would think of all the memories he and his friends made with a nostalgic smile. Sometimes, he would think about what they could possibly be doing and why they left. When that happened, usually a few bittersweet tears were shed, but then he would tell himself to stop and that there was no use in crying over something that wasn't ever going to come true. And he promised his father he would get better, so he decided to keep that promise and lock up those memories.

But still, he wondered,  _What are they doing right now_?

...

The rest of the seven were somewhere you (probably) wouldn't ever guess.

Ogygia.

Yes, they were in Ogygia. Calypso and Leo were the ones who invited them to stay at their island home. When Jason and Piper found out Leo was, in fact, alive, they freaked out. Jason actually zapped Leo to the point of causing him to nearly pass out.

After Leo explained how he was alive (y'know, Physician's Cure...), he and Calypso asked if they wanted to live in Ogygia with them. Of course, being the daughter of Athena, Annabeth immediately responded with a bunch of questions like, "How did you find Ogygia  _twice_?" and "You can find it a  _third_ time?!" Calypso explained why, which was because she was-  _pretty much_ \- the landlord of the island. Being the landlord of the island allows her to find it easily. How  _Leo_ found it twice, no one knew. Leo didn't even know himself.

After all Annabeth's questions were answered, Leo and Calypso reminded the other demigods of their offer. Jason and Piper were the ones who accepted first and then Nico (who, surprisingly, smiled.)

Annabeth took a while to answer, though. All her thoughts were fighting each other. Some thoughts told her to stay- that she had lots of friends at Camp and, well...  _Percy_. Other thoughts screamed and pleaded for her to go. Those thoughts wanted to see what Ogygia was like, how it functioned, and (of course) just get away from everything: the monsters, the drama, and any  _surprise_ wars. The thought that persuaded her, though, was that she'd be able to get back, right? It wouldn't be like she was gone forever.

Finally, Annabeth gave in and accepted the offer. Piper hugged Annabeth while Jason, Nico,  and Calypso smiled. Leo grabbed a drachma from his tool belt and Iris-Messaged Frank and Hazel. The couple immediately agreed and asked where they should meet them. Leo told them where and Frank nodded while Hazel called Arion.

Calypso told Jason, Nico, Annabeth, and Piper to go to their cabin and grab anything they wanted to bring with them to Ogygia. Surprisingly, none of them had anything they wanted to bring, so they just waited until Leo was done talking to Frank and Hazel.

Two minutes later, he cut off the Iris-Message and sang, "C'mon, vámonos! Everybody, let's go!" The others laughed (minus, Jason, who just shook his head with a smile on his face) and followed Leo out of Camp and to the place they were supposed to meet their Roman friends.

Frank and Hazel arrived at the place at the same time the other demigods and Calypso did. Leo called Festus and asked Hazel if she could call Arion and Jason if he could call Tempest. When their 'rides' came, everyone tried to fit as many people as they could on each ride. Leo managed to fit himself, Calypso, and Annabeth on Festus, Jason and Piper on Tempest, and Frank, Hazel and Nico on Arion. When everyone was comfortable, they set off for Ogygia.

Sometime later, they wound up at the island. Calypso gave them a tour, then asked what they wanted to do. Hazel said she was hungry and wanted to make a cake. Jason, Annabeth, Nico, Calypso, and Frank said they could help while Leo could show Piper all the new things he has built. One of the things he built was a vending machine, which led to the fight the two of them were having over the last Cheeto bag in the vending machine.

"Hey! That's not fair!" Leo whined.

"All's fair in love and war. And Cheetos," Piper replied, snatching the bag of crunchy cheese-powered chips from the son of Hephaestus.

"Hmph," Leo pouted like a child while Piper smiled victoriously and popped the bag open. He kneeled down and clasped his hands together, "Can I at least have  _one_?" He begged.

"Nope," Piper shook her head, pulling a Cheeto out of the bag. She waved it in his face, then took a bite of out of it.

Leo crossed his arms, sticking out his bottom lip in a pout once more as he stood up, "You don't have to  _tease_ me."

"Oh, yes I do," The daughter of Aphrodite smirked.

Suddenly, Leo cupped his hands together over his mouth and yelled, "JAY- _SON_! Your Cheeto-addicted girlfriend is taunting me!"

Seconds later, an exhausted male voice responded, "-BUSY RIGHT NOW.  _YOUR_... PROBLEM!" Jason replied, followed by a grunt and a loud, "HEY! NICO! I THOUGHT I WAS ON YOUR TEAM- OW!"

"She's  _your_  girlfriend!" Leo yelled back.

"HEY, HAZEL, STOP IT! Okay, yes, I might have deserved that," The son of Jupiter shouted then said, "LEO, YOU'RE THE ONE... WHO WANTS THE CHEETOS!"

Leo quietly cursed in Ancient Greek and didn't respond because he knew Jason was right.

Piper smirked again, "And I didn't even have to use my Charmspeak!"

"Yes, you did! You used it on me! That's how you got the Cheetos!" Leo argued.

Before she could respond, someone yelled, "Piper!" Both Leo and Piper turned to face the person, who was the one and only Calypso.

"Hazel and Annabeth have requested your assistance," The immortal girl said, her head peeking out from the wall. She looked like she had gotten in a fight with the Pillsbury Doughboy: Her long brown hair was covered in flour, she had a melted yellow liquid dripping down the side of her face (which, what Piper and Leo hoped, was butter), and she had chocolate splattered all over her forehead.

Leo pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, knowing he would have to clean up whatever happened, "Gods, what did you guys do in the kitchen? Have a food fight?" He asked, trying not to laugh. Despite how ridiculous she looked, he couldn't help but think she looked even more beautiful.

Calypso grinned and walked out from behind the wall, revealing her even messier apron, "Actually, yes. That's exactly what we did."

Leo pouted and crossed his arms for the third time that day. "Why didn't you come get me? I could've stopped it so I wouldn't have to clean up a huge mess. Also, you know how much I like food fights!" He exclaimed, his pout turning into a smile.

"I didn't know what was happening until Jason yelled  _FOOD FIGHT_!" She defended, throwing her hands up.

"You could've gotten me then!"

"Well, Hazel and Frank teamed up and pelted me with chocolate!"

Leo started pouting again, "Fine. But you're helping me clean the kitchen!"

"Why do I have to clean up something  _you_ made?" Calypso asked, wiping some butter off her face.

" _I_  made the kitchen.  _You guys_  made the mess," The fire-user clarified, pointing accusingly at the hallway leading to the kitchen, "Plus, you love me." He added.

Calypso sighed and smiled, "Can't argue with that," She said, giving him a sweet and salty kiss.

Jason, Annabeth, Frank, Nico, and Hazel could hear someone groaning and yelling all the way from the kitchen. They all chuckled when they realized who it was.

"AUGH, CALYPSO, YOUR KISSES TASTE AND  _SMELL_  LIKE RAISINS!"

Yep. That was Leo, the Raisin Hater.

...

❝  _Reach, It's not as bad as it seems._

_I cleanse in the river,_

_for somebody else, for anyone,_

_But myself._

...

_I'm not a **selfish**  man,_

_I'm not a man of wealth._

_But, if I had all the world,_

_I **wouldn't**  give it to myself._

_But the trees begin to walk,_

_And the ground begins to talk._

_And myself._ ❞

...


	7. weight of living

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyzHYg9BYRs song for the chapter!

 

_Percy_

Thank the gods.

Today was finally Saturday, which meant I wouldn't have to travel around the states to pick up young demigods. I mean, don't get me wrong, I  _do_ enjoy helping them find their way to Camp, but sometimes it gets a little exhausting. Thankfully, Chiron said I could take breaks on Saturdays and Sundays.

I was on my way to the pavilion for lunch when I heard someone sniffling. It was quiet, so I doubt I would've heard it, had I been talking to someone.

My curiosity got the best of me. I needed to know who was upset and why. Maybe I could cheer them up?

I decided to investigate. I weaved in and out of tall green trees, occasionally being whacked in the eye by a branch (which, by the way, hurt more than you'd think.) Within a couple minutes, I arrived my destination: the beach. My heart nearly dropped out of my chest at the sight.

...

Standing on the edge of the peer on the beach, arms straight at his side, staring down at the clear blue water, was a pale teenager with unkempt ashen-blonde hair. Anyone could tell that his hair had seen... better days.

He was tall, around 5 feet and 10 inches, but his slouched posture caused him to look shorter. The orange Camp Half-Blood shirt he wore had spots of dust and grime as if he hadn't washed the shirt in months.

As Percy was examining his face to figure out who this person was, he noticed movement on the boy's cheek.

It was a tear.

Percy silently watched the tear roll down his face, landing in the water with a small  _plop_. A few more tears followed after. The boy muttered something and stuck his arms out horizontally as if he were balancing himself.

When the boy started leaning forward, Percy realized what he was about to do.

He was going to drown himself.

Percy broke into a sprint, dashing to the end of the peer, hoping- wishing he could prevent him from jumping.

But he was too late. The pallid boy fell into the water, allowing his body to sink.

But it wasn't too late for Percy.

He dove into the water, immediately feeling the effects of his favored element. He felt stronger, more agile, and... less tired? He didn't even know he was tired.

The Sea Prince (maybe a little too forcefully) grabbed the teen by his waist, ordering the water to propel himself and the boy upwards. When they broke through the surface, the boy gasped for air. Unfortunately, just as Percy reached the beach, the blonde demigod began to kick and throw weak punches at his so-called savior.

"L-Let me go, you a-asshole!" He rasped, though his threat didn't faze the son of Poseidon at all. He'd heard and received worse threats and insults.

Percy's face hardened, his eyes narrowing, "What, so you want me to let you go so you can go drown yourself again? Not happening, buddy." He answered gruffly.

The older demigod practically slammed the younger demigod's body into the sand. He grabbed his wrists and secured them over his head, then (basically) sat on his legs. Yes, that probably looked weird, but how else was Percy supposed to restrain this suicidal guy who was kicking and screeching?

The blonde boy struggled to free himself from Percy's grip, failing miserably. "G-Get off! You're probably going to break my f-fucking legs!" His dull blue eyes were filled with resentment and annoyance.

"If I get off, swear on the Styx that you won't  _ever_ try to kill yourself again." The taller boy's eyes were filled with determination and some sadness. Upon seeing the shorter boy bite his lip in hesitation, he tightened his grip on the boy's wrists. A small cry escaped the boy's mouth, but Percy ignored it, "Swear it." He growled, shocking the boy. He never thought he would ever hear Percy Jackson  _growl_.

Thus, the ashen haired boy gave in, "Fine. I swear on the River Styx that I won't-" He suddenly choked, and this time, the  _boy_ surprised  _Percy_. "That I won't kill myself." He concluded, screwing his eyes shut as if he were bracing himself for some form of pain.

Percy's face softened a bit, rolling off of the boy. Both demigods now lay on their backs, staring at the clear blue sky. While Percy was dry and showed absolutely no evidence that he'd ever been in the water, the boy was soaking wet. The only movement of the two was the rise and fall of their chests.

"So," Percy began, his sea green eyes still trained on the sky. "You wanna tell me why you thought drowning yourself was a good idea?"

The blonde stiffened, but Percy didn't notice. "I... I thought..." He paused, and tears leaking from his eyes, "Dammit, Jackson. Why do you even care?!" His voice trembled with fury and sadness. "It's  _your_ fault I'm like this!"

Percy turned his head to glance at him, his tone indifferent, "And why is that?"

The question made the other teen's fists clench, "Because," He started. "You're the reason why he left! When I finally got the confidence to tell him I l-love him, he fucking disappears the next day. And coincidentally,  so did all your friends." He growled, "What the hell did you do to drive him- them away?!"

Wait,  _what_? He?

Now looking at the boy, Percy was able to clearly see his face. Dear gods, what happened to him? His unusual dull blue eyes had lost that spark- that spark the indicated his will to live. His golden hair, which was his most distinctive feature, had also dulled, but into an ugly shade of yellow. This boy wasn't any boy.

It was Will Solace.

...

❝  _There's an albatross around your neck,_

_All the things you've said,_

_And the things you've done._

_Can you carry it with no regrets?_

_Can you stand the person you've become?_

_..._

_Stepping forward out into the day,_

_Shrugging off the dust and memory._

_Though it's soaring still above your head_

_It is out of sight and none shall see._  ❞

...


	8. float on

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSEsMpMxkg4 ; song for the chapter!

 

"Hazel, pass me the flour?"

"Sure! Here you go,"

"Thanks, sis,"

"Annabeth, it doesn't need to be perfect! Just put the butter in the bowl!"

Grudgingly, Annabeth dumped the butter out of the measuring cup, and into the large white bowl. She grumbled something about 'moist breading', but nonetheless grabbed a whisk and started to blend the ingredients together. When she was finished stirring the lumpy batter, she carefully poured it into a pan.

Suddenly, someone was standing to her right, watching her empty the bowl, "I wanna lick it,"

Annabeth choked at Leo's question, her eyes humorously wide, "Excuse me?" She spluttered incredulously.

"The bowl. Can I lick it?" Leo didn't understand why Annabeth was freaking out. And it seemed no one else did either.

"Leo, a five-year-old would ask that question."

"Well, maybe I  _AM_ five! Now give me the bowl!"

Annabeth sigh exasperatedly and proceeded to hand Leo the bowl, who grinned impishly and began licking it, "Leo, you can't just walk up to someone and say 'I wanna lick it.' Not everyone's mind is as innocent as yours."

Leo frowned, "What? What do you mean inno-  _OH_. Oh, oops." His face was almost redder than the flames he creates.

"Yeah,  _oops_ ," Annabeth mocked as she cleaned the counter off, "What color should the icing be?"

"Blue,"

Annabeth turned to Nico and frowned at the sudden seriousness in his voice, "What? Why?"

Nico looked her in the eye, his gaze hard and dark, "For  _Percy_."

"Percy? Who's–"

And suddenly, they all remembered.

Percy Jackson, the son of Poseidon who fought until death. Percy Jackson, the sarcastic, yet endlessly loyal friend. Percy Jackson, the "pretty boy" who was sometimes mistaken for a troublemaker with that smirk of his. Percy Jackson, the silly teenager who made  _fart_  jokes, for gods' sake, just to cheer a friend up. Percy Jackson, the one of few who made it out of Tartarus  _alive_ , and with his  _sanity_  nonetheless.

Hazel gave a small, broken gasp as her shaking hand flew up to her mouth, "Percy. Nono,  _Percy,"_  Her golden eyes shone with tears, "We  _left_  him. We  _all_  left him. He's... he's alone at Camp. He's  _been_  alone at Camp for..." She paused, her eyes suddenly going wide with panic, "Today. What's today? What is the date?"

"Time moves at a different speed here," Jason murmured blankly, obviously stunned and ashamed that he'd forgotten about  _Percy,_ his _bro_ , for gods' sake. He saved Jason's life more than he could count on  _two hands_.

Suddenly, Calypso threw her hands out in a relaxing gesture, "Calm down, everyone. It's only, um," She sent a 'help me!' look over at Leo, who thankfully got the hint and took over.

Leo shrugged like it was no big deal, "Yeah, it's only 2017. August, I think? Also, I think the United States has a new president," He added in a light tone.

Frank blinked, then clenched his jaw, grinding his teeth together irritatedly, "It's 2017? And that's okay with you? That it's 2017 and we've been gone for  _two years_?" He snarled, causing everyone to unconsciously take a step away from him, "Leo, if you think this is all  ** _okay_** , imagine how  _lonely_  Percy has been. He doesn't even know where we are!"

Piper nodded, her kaleidoscope eyes narrowing at Leo, "I agree with Frank. Leo, this isn't a joke anymore. We need to get back now to Camp now,"

"Guys," Nico spoke up in a truly horrified voice. None of the demigods had ever heard him like this. "What if... it's too late? What if there is no Camp anymore?"

Annabeth looked at Nico meaningfully, "Can you tell? If anyone has..." She swallowed, "Died?"

Nico shook his head, "No, my powers haven't worked like that ever since..." He paused, slowly turning to Leo and Calypso, " _Ever since we got here_. Okay, what the fuck is going on, you two? Leo, you act like this isn't a problem, and it clearly  _is_. And Calypso, you've been shifty ever since we've started–" Nico stopped, suddenly looking downright  _furious_. " ** _Remembering_**. What the fuck did you  _do_  to us!" He marched over to Leo and shoved him harshly into a wall.

"Nico,  ** _stop_**." Calypso grabbed his shoulder and pulled him off of Leo, who sent a strange look to the demi-titan. The strange look was returned, "I think you know what to do." Leo nodded, and then suddenly...

Both of their hands were glowing ominously.

Jason, looking uncertain, quickly went into a defensive stance, and summoned crackling lightning in his palms, "Leo, Calypso, you need to stop whatever you're doing now, or I will  **stop you myself** ,"

Annabeth, Frank, and Nico lined themselves side by side next to Jason. They all formed similar stances as Jason's, ready to fight the two and whatever spell they were casting, which was growing bigger by the second.

"This is the last time, guys! I'm warning you, stop now!" Jason yelled over the fuzzy sound of the magic.

Leo looked directly into Jason's eyes and spoke in a voice that definitely wasn't Leo's.

" ** _You are all too late. All will be ours soon._** "

And then...

 _White_.

 ...

It's been two years– almost three in a couple months– ever since they left. I know, you're probably surprised I still keep track. I have to, because what if they come back? What if they have no idea how long they've been gone?

I shouldn't get my hopes up. I mean, it's been  _two years_. And besides, my friends now are probably some of the  _best_  people in the world. They would never do anything to hurt me, or anyone else.

Well, maybe Drew, but that was her in the past, okay? She's seen the "error of her ways," if you will.

Anyway, we've all been there for each other when times are tough. Like, that one time when someone slipped something in Nyssa's drink, and she almost, uh... choked on her own vomit. And that one time when a new Aphrodite camper decided to have a person vendetta on Drew and spread a bunch of rumors about Drew being " _slutty with Jackson_ " (the chick's words, not mine.) Or when Sean's older half-brother caught him wearing a flower crown, somehow found his nail polish that Will gave him for his birthday, and told the whole Camp as if it was a bad thing (people wouldn't stop calling him "little gay attention whore" until Nyssa, Will and I had to threaten them.)

Yeah, some people at Camp aren't very nice (and that is an understatement.)

But, these two years without all of them has kind of made me realize that... I overracted a bit too much when I first found that they left. I don't  _need_  them. Sure, I might have had a stronger friendship with them than the people I'm with now, but these guys...

I can tell already that our friendship's probably going to last until death. They are truly  _good people_.

And there's no one else I'd rather be friends with.

...

  ❝ _Alright, already,_

_And we'll all float on alright._

_Already we'll all float on alright._

_Don't worry even if things end up a bit_

_too heavy we'll all float on alright._ ❞

...


End file.
